From Welcome to Transformation: What Queer Wisdom Offers the Church
What if the Church stopped asking whether LGBTQ+ people belong and started asking what it could learn from them?
That question was central to a presentation by AWAB Executive Director Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson at the October 24 Fall Meeting of The Gathering of Baptists in Hamilton, Ontario.
The gathering, held at MacNeill Baptist Church under the theme “To Faithfully Evolve,” invited participants to consider what historically excluded communities can teach the wider Church.
In his presentation, “From Welcome to Transformation: What Queer Wisdom Offers the Church,” Brian explored how queer wisdom can help the Church reconsider its assumptions and become more faithful to its calling.
Moving Beyond Welcome
For generations, churches have debated whether LGBTQ+ people should be baptized, ordained or allowed to participate fully in congregational life.
Brian acknowledged the importance of the progress made by welcoming and affirming congregations, while challenging attendees to consider what comes next.
“What if queer people are not simply guests at the church’s table? What if we belong to the household? What if it is our table, too?”
His question points toward a deeper understanding of affirmation.
Welcoming LGBTQ+ people into existing church structures is important. But genuine transformation occurs when those same people are empowered to shape the Church’s theology and future.
What Queer Experience Can Teach the Church
Drawing from his experience as a gay Baptist minister and AWAB’s decades of ministry, Brian identified five gifts queer communities offer the Church.
Among them is the courage to question what society and religious institutions have long considered normal.
Many LGBTQ+ Christians have had to reconsider teachings about identity and belonging. Brian suggested that this experience can help congregations distinguish between traditions they have inherited and what faithfulness to God actually requires.
He also reflected on the sacredness of becoming, emphasizing that faith is not simply about preserving what we already believe. Like the many biblical figures whose lives were changed through encounters with God, the Church must remain open to transformation.
Brian pointed to the tradition of chosen family within LGBTQ+ communities as another lesson for congregational life. When families and churches rejected queer people, communities formed relationships of care that reflected the kind of belonging churches often aspire to create.
He also reminded attendees that queer communities have something to teach the Church about joy.
Rather than focusing exclusively on suffering and rejection, Brian encouraged Christians to recognize the spiritual significance of queer celebration and the freedom found in living fully.
What Happens When We Allow Ourselves to Change?
Brian concluded with a personal story from his pastoral ministry in Denver.
When he was called to serve First Baptist Church of Denver, a longtime member named Lita voted against his appointment. She held traditional beliefs about homosexuality and was initially uncomfortable with LGBTQ+ inclusion.
But as Lita developed relationships with queer members of the congregation, her perspective began to change.
Over time, she became one of Brian’s strongest supporters.
The transformation was not limited to Lita. Brian recognized that he changed through their relationship as well, and so did the congregation.
It was a powerful reminder that the Church’s future need not be defined by replacing one group in power with another. Instead, the Church can become a community where more people participate fully in shaping its life.
Brian closed his presentation with a question that speaks directly to AWAB’s ongoing ministry:
“What can the church become? Because queer people are and always have been part of it.”
Watch Brian’s Full Presentation
Hear Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson’s presentation, “From Welcome to Transformation: What Queer Wisdom Offers the Church,” from the October 24 Gathering of Baptists.
Brian’s presentation begins at 3:50 in the event recording.